Career and Education Opportunities for Advertising Agents in Gilbert, Arizona

Many educational and employment opportunities exist for advertising agents in the Gilbert, Arizona area. Currently, 2,730 people work as advertising agents in Arizona. This is expected to grow by 27% to about 3,470 people by 2016. This is better than the nation as a whole, where employment opportunities for advertising agents are expected to grow by about 7.2%. In general, advertising agents sell or solicit advertising, including graphic art, advertising space in publications, custom made signs, or TV and radio advertising time.

A person working as an advertising agent can expect to earn about $20 hourly or $42,060 yearly on average in Arizona and about $20 per hour or $43,480 per year on average in the U.S. as a whole. Incomes for advertising agents are better than in the overall category of Sales and Clerical in Arizona, and better than the overall Sales and Clerical category nationally.

There is one school within twenty-five miles of Gilbert where you can study to be an advertising agent, among seventy-six schools of higher education total in the Gilbert area. Advertising agents usually hold a Bachelor's degree, so you can expect to spend about four years studying to be an advertising agent if you already have a high school diploma.

CAREER DESCRIPTION: Advertising Agent

In general, advertising agents sell or solicit advertising, including graphic art, advertising space in publications, custom made signs, or TV and radio advertising time. They also may obtain leases for outdoor advertising sites or persuade retailer to use sales promotion display items.

Advertising agents explain to clients how specific types of advertising will help promote their products or services in the most effective way possible. They also furnish clients with estimates of the costs of advertising products or services. Equally important, advertising agents have to locate and contact potential clients to propose advertising services. They are often called upon to draw up contracts for advertising work, and collect payments due. They are expected to obtain and study data related to clients' products and business practices to propose effective sales presentations and appropriate product assistance. Finally, advertising agents attend sales meetings, industry trade shows, and training seminars to gather data, promote products, expand network of contacts, and increase knowledge.

Every day, advertising agents are expected to be able to articulate ideas and problems. They need to understand what others are saying to them even in a noisy environment. It is also important that they speak clearly.

It is important for advertising agents to decide on advertising medium to be used, and make ready sample advertisements within the selected medium for presentation to clients. They are often called upon to gather all relevant material for bid processes, and direct bidding and contract approval. Somewhat less frequently, advertising agents are also expected to process all correspondence and paperwork pertaining to accounts.

Advertising agents sometimes are asked to maintain assigned account bases while developing new accounts. and write sales outlines for use by staff. And finally, they sometimes have to write sales outlines for use by staff.

Like many other jobs, advertising agents must be persistant in the face of problems and impediments and have an achievement oriented outlook with an eye towards personal and professional growth.

Similar jobs with educational opportunities in Gilbert include:

Cage Cashier. Exchange coins and tokens for patrons' money. May issue payoffs and obtain customer's signature on receipt when winnings exceed the amount held in the slot machine. May operate a booth in the slot machine area and furnish change persons with money bank at the start of the shift, or count and audit money in drawers.

Cashier. Receive and disburse money in establishments other than financial institutions. Usually involves use of electronic scanners, cash registers, or related equipment. Often involved in processing credit or debit card transactions and validating checks.

Insurance Agent. Sell life, property, or other types of insurance. May refer clients to independent brokers, work as independent broker, or be employed by an insurance company.

Product Demonstrator. Demonstrate merchandise and answer questions for the purpose of creating public interest in buying the product. May sell demonstrated merchandise.

Retail Sales Manager. Directly supervise sales workers in a retail establishment or department. Duties may include management functions, such as purchasing, budgeting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.

Retail Salesman. Sell merchandise, such as furniture, motor vehicles, or apparel in a retail establishment.

Sales Team Manager. Directly supervise and coordinate activities of sales workers other than retail sales workers. May perform duties, such as budgeting, accounting, and personnel work, in addition to supervisory duties.

Technical Service Representative. Sell goods for wholesalers or manufacturers where technical or scientific knowledge is required in such areas as biology, engineering, and electronics, normally obtained from at least 2 years of post-secondary education.

Telemarketer. Solicit orders for goods or services over the telephone.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES: Advertising Agent Training

The Art Institute of Phoenix - Phoenix, AZ

The Art Institute of Phoenix, 2233 W Dunlap Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85021-2859. The Art Institute of Phoenix is a small school located in Phoenix, Arizona. It is a private for-profit school with primarily 4-year or above programs. It has 1,144 students and an admission rate of 52%. The Art Institute of Phoenix has a bachelor's degree program in Advertising which graduated eleven students in 2008.

CERTIFICATIONS

Certified Sales Professional:
The Certified Sales Professional (CSP) program gives a thorough understanding of consultative selling.

Certified Salesperson:
The SMEI Certified Professional Salesperson program is ideal for professionals who are employed as a sales representatives, account managers, distributor representatives and business development personnel.

LOCATION INFORMATION: Gilbert, Arizona

Gilbert, Arizona photo by Cygnusloop99

Gilbert is located in Maricopa County, Arizona. It has a population of over 216,449, which has grown by 97.3% over the last ten years. The cost of living index in Gilbert, 94, is below the national average. New single-family homes in Gilbert are priced at $210,100 on average, which is below the state average. In 2008, 1,115 new homes were constructed in Gilbert, down from 2,891 the previous year.

The three most popular industries for women in Gilbert are educational services, health care, and finance and insurance. For men, it is computer and electronic products, construction, and professional, scientific, and technical services. The average travel time to work is about 29 minutes. More than 36.1% of Gilbert residents have a bachelor's degree, which is higher than the state average. The percentage of residents with a graduate degree, 11.3%, is higher than the state average.

The unemployment rate in Gilbert is 4.9%, which is less than Arizona's average of 9.3%.

The percentage of Gilbert residents that are affiliated with a religious congregation, 39.7%, is less than the national average but more than the state average. The largest religious groups are the Catholic Church, the LDS (Mormon) Church and the Southern Baptist Convention.

Gilbert is home to the Santan Substation and the Gilbert Substation as well as Library Park and Parquasito Verde Park. Shopping centers in the area include Village Square Shopping Center and Village Center Shopping Center. Visitors to Gilbert can choose from BCS Hospitality Consultants and CoastClub for temporary stays in the area.